GRANTS, N.M. — A Zuni Pueblo man has been sentenced in federal court to just over three years in prison after pleading guilty to stabbing an unarmed man with a sharp metal object, an assault that caused severe internal injuries and required lifesaving medical treatment.
According to court records,Adrian Cheama, 37, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, was sentenced to 37 months in prison. In the federal system, defendants do not receive parole.
The case stems from an incident on June 16, 2025, when Cheama stabbed an unarmed victim in the abdomen “without apparent provocation,” according to court filings. Prosecutors said Cheama later disposed of the weapon, preventing law enforcement from recovering it.
The victim was airlifted to a hospital and received life-saving treatment for the stab wound and resulting internal injuries, court records state. At the time of his arrest, Cheama denied responsibility for the stabbing.
Cheama pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Cheama to pay $36,567 in restitution. After completing his sentence, he will be subject to two years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, special agent in charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced the sentence. The FBI’s Gallup Resident Agency investigated the case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan prosecuted the case.